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The 25 Best J. Cole Verses

J. Cole's second album, Born Sinner, drops tomorrow but the Roc Nation MC is already soaking up accolades. Most of the rave reviews (the album leaked a few weeks back) have focused on the vastly improved production—soaring strings, a live church choir, hard-knocking drums throughout. But the beats still can't outshine the reason Cole first stood out: His rhymes.

From Born Sinner all the way back to his first mixtape, The Come-Up, Cole has proved himself to be an elite MC—as capable of chest-thumping battle raps or gut-wrenching stories of struggle. Here, we take a look back at his already impressively deep catalog (two albums, two EPs, three mixtapes, and several standalone tracks and guest verses), to select his best verses. With his consistently top-notch skills, it wasn't an easy task. Still, these are The 25 Best J. Cole Verses.